Manulife Financial Group has announced that Alan Merten has taken the helm as the new chief executive officer and president director of PT Asuransi Jiwa Manulife Indonesia.

The appointment, which took effect July 2010, is expected to help Manulife Indonesia maintain its lead position in the country, the company said in a statement.

Merten brings over 20 years of experience in life insurance, wealth management and pensions into the company. Prior to joining the Indonesian franchise, he was based in Hong Kong as CEO of Manulife Provident Funds Trust, which was responsible for about one million customer accounts and close to $8 billion in funds.

Manulife Indonesia has been actively building its presence in the country, as evidenced by the launch of a new and larger marketing office in Makkasar in April this year. The firm had enjoyed a 60 per cent rise in business premiums in 2009, building up to a 41 per cent increase in assets under management to IDR22.187 trillion ($2.46 million) by the end of the said year.